Foods High in EFAs

Walnuts supply essential fatty acids.

The essential fatty acids, more commonly known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, make up the group of healthy polyunsaturated fats that help lower your risk of heart disease. They're classified as essential because your body can't make them, so you must get them from your diet. You’ll get your daily EFAs by eating foods such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils.

Essential Fatty Acids

Of the different types of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, only one from each group is essential. Your body can synthesize other omega-3s from alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. If you consume linoleic acid, or LA, it can be converted into the other omega-6 fatty acids. As a group, these polyunsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol, maintain healthy nerves and provide cellular structure, but they also fill individual jobs. The omega-6 fatty acids help keep blood sugar balanced, while the omega-3s prevent inflammation, inhibit blood clots, lower triglycerides and help keep your heart beat regular.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The best sources of alpha-linolenic acid are flaxseeds, walnuts and their oils. Flaxseed oil is one of the top sources of ALA, with just 1 tablespoon providing well over 400 percent of your recommended daily intake. A 1-ounce serving of walnuts has 2.6 grams of ALA, while 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds has almost 2 grams. If your salad dressing includes 1 tablespoon of walnut, canola or soybean oil, you’ll get about 1 gram of ALA. The Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends that women should consume 1.1 grams and men need 1.6 grams of ALA daily.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids were once thought to cause inflammation, but in January 2009, the American Heart Association reviewed the evidence and concluded that they were heart-healthy and should be part of a balanced diet. The essential omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, comes from nuts, seeds and a variety of vegetable oils. You’ll get 5 to 10 grams of LA from 1 tablespoon of sesame, soybean, sunflower and safflower oils, as well as a 1-ounce serving of Brazil nuts, pecans, peanuts and sunflower seeds. The recommended daily intake of LA for women is 12 grams, while men need 17 grams, so a 5-gram serving supplies 42 percent of women’s and 29 percent of men’s daily intake.

Conditionally Essential

Your body converts ALA into two other omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Only a small percentage of the total ALA you consume becomes EPA or DHA, so depending on your individual needs, they may be essential, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. EPA and DHA are both found in herring, salmon, sardines, trout and tuna. Eating a variety of fish at least twice a week supplies an adequate amount, but if you have coronary heart disease, you should consume 1 gram of combined EPA and DHA daily, advises the American Heart Association.

About the Author

Sandi Busch received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, then pursued training in nursing and nutrition. She taught families to plan and prepare special diets, worked as a therapeutic support specialist, and now writes about her favorite topics – nutrition, food, families and parenting – for hospitals and trade magazines.